Locked Drawer
by Boo2020
Summary: Phoenix finally gets around to making copies of the office keys, which he gives to Maya. The keys work on virtually everything in the office, except one particular drawer in his desk. Maya is intent on finding out what Phoenix has hidden inside.


I didn't know how to end this… So here you go. Written for a friend!

* * *

"Hey, Maya?"

Maya looked up from her Steel Samurai manga at the sound of Phoenix's voice. A few minutes ago he was working at his desk, and she hadn't even noticed him get up. "Yeah, Nick?"

He fidgeted where he stood. "I have something for you."

She set her manga down. "Ooh, really? What is it? A present?"

"Not really. It's kind of like a promotion, I guess? Anyway, you've worked here for a few years now and I know I can trust you with everything so… here."

He tossed something to her, and she reached out to catch it automatically. She raised an eyebrow when she looked down at the Steel Samurai themed keychain in her hand, with three keys attached to it. "Um… keys? Keys to what? Did you buy me a car or something? You know I can't drive."

He smiled and took a seat beside her on the couch. "No, they're keys to the office, the filing cabinets, and the drawers in my desk."

"Thanks?"

"You seem disappointed. I told you it wasn't a present didn't I?"

She shook her head. "No, it kind of is a present in its own way. Now I know you trust me with the office. And you _did_ put it on this keychain for me so that's a present!"

"I've always trusted you with the office. I should have given them to you sooner, but I just got around to finally making copies, and I figured you'd like the keychain."

She leaned over to give him a quick hug. "Thanks, Nick!"

"Mhm. Now you can get more work done."

She frowned. "Okay, maybe I don't want these keys so much."

He laughed. "I'm kidding. It's the same amount of work, you just won't need to borrow my keys all the time to get to the files and things. You might even save some time."

* * *

True enough, a few days later Maya was filing away some of the finished paperwork from their latest case when she ran out of staples. She knew they were in Phoenix's desk drawer, and he was out getting them dinner, so she took her new keys from her obi and opened the first drawer in his desk. She dug around inside but only found some blank paper and pens and pencils, so she went for the next one.

She attempted to turn the key in the lock, but it wouldn't budge. She jiggled it, and tried opening the drawer, but it was stuck shut. She would have to remember to tell Nick that the lock on that drawer was broken. She rifled through the rest of the drawers but found no staples, and went to the backroom where they kept their office supplies to get a brand new box instead.

When Phoenix finally made it back to the office with their bags of food, Maya shut and locked the filing cabinet she had open and made her way over to the couches. Phoenix handed her food over to her. "Thanks for filing those papers, Maya."

"No problem. Oh, one of the drawers in your desk is stuck shut though."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

She started to unwrap her burger. "I was looking for staples because I ran out and I tried to open the second drawer in your desk on the right side but the key wouldn't work."

"O-Oh. That's uh… That key actually doesn't work on that drawer."

She raised her eyebrows as she took a bite of her food. She swallowed and washed it down with a sip of her drink. "What do you mean? What kind of desk has different locks for the drawers?"

Phoenix took a sip of his own drink, seemingly thinking how to word what he was going to say. He cleared his throat. "There's nothing important in that drawer anyway, so don't worry about it. You won't need to go into it."

"Won't need to? Or you don't _want_ me to?"

He shook his head, trying not to look too panicked. If he showed how much he didn't want her in that drawer it would only make her want to open it more. "No, that's not it. I just know there's nothing important in it." He shrugged. "Maybe your sister had the lock changed when it was her desk, I don't know."

"Hmm. Okay then."

After that they were quiet while they ate, and when they were finished they both went back to work.

* * *

That desk drawer tormented Maya for the next two weeks. Phoenix was a terrible liar, and she didn't believe for one second that the drawer had nothing important in it. There was _something_ in there, and she wanted to know what it was. Phoenix seemed to know that she knew he was lying, and didn't leave the office for more than a few minutes at a time; never long enough for her to try getting into it without being caught. He hardly even left the desk itself, doing all of his work there and even finding an excuse to eat at it.

At the end of the second week, Maya suggested burgers again. The Friday before Phoenix had given her the money and sent her to get them so he wouldn't have to leave, but Maya had made sure to pile her work on the coffee table to make herself look busy so when she suggested he go instead, she could use her work as an excuse not to go.

Maybe he finally thought enough time had passed that she wouldn't remember their conversation about the drawer and it was safe now, because he readily agreed and headed on out.

She watched him from the window until he was out of sight down the street, then quickly headed over to the desk. She'd watched a few YouTube videos on how to pick locks and practiced on some of the doors in Fey Manor. She was pretty good at it now. You really could learn anything on the internet.

She sat down in Phoenix's chair and took out the bobby pin she'd been practicing with. It took a few tries, but she soon heard the clicking of the lock opening inside. She pulled the bobby pin out and yanked open the drawer.

She peered down into it. All she could see were the white backs of what looked like small pieces of paper. She reached down to pick one up. It was long and rectangular and when she turned it over she realized it was a film strip from the photo booth at Gatewater Land. The photo booth she'd dragged him into with Pearl's help. The pictures looked ridiculous, with all three of them squished into the tiny booth. She had to smile at it. She still had her copy of the photos as well, but she didn't think he'd kept the ones she'd given him copies of, since she never saw them anywhere.

She rooted around in the drawer some more. There were a few more photos, always either just the two of them together or out with Pearl, and a few newspaper clippings about their cases together too. She'd been expecting something a little more embarrassing. With the way he'd reacted, she thought for sure there'd be something else in there. It was sweet that Phoenix had kept all the pictures of the two of them and even cut out the newspaper articles, but she didn't understand why he didn't want her to see it.

She had everything spread out on the desktop when she reached her arm further into the drawer to see if she missed anything. Her fingers closed over one more item, a bit stiffer than the photos but not much bigger.

When she pulled it out and flipped it over, her breath caught in her throat. She never would have expected to find that inside the drawer. She never expected to ever see it again, period. She thought it was lost, and she had no idea how or why Phoenix had it, or why he never told her he did.

She ran her fingers over the old business card with the pink seashell on it. The drawing of Phoenix and his name scrawled at the bottom brought back a mixture of good and bad memories. That was one of the scariest times in her life, but she'd been able to bring herself a moment of peace in that basement simply by doodling a picture of his face. She was no artist, but it looked enough like him that it managed to calm her nerves just a bit.

Maya wiped at her eyes, surprised to find some tears were leaking out, and then began to put everything back inside the drawer. She had the business card in her hand when the door to the office opened and Phoenix stepped inside with their food.

She froze, not thinking quickly enough to stuff the card into the drawer and close it before he noticed, and he froze when his gaze landed on her, the card fully on display between her fingers. She looked away from him, blushing deeply at having been caught, and she didn't want to see the angry expression she was sure he would have.

"So you couldn't help yourself, huh?" She looked up at the gentle tone of his voice. He was looking at her almost fondly. He sighed and set the bags of food down on the coffee table. "I don't know what I expected. I should have known you'd get in there somehow."

"I-I'm sorry, Nick… I don't deserve these keys. You trusted me and I still went into this drawer when you told me not to… B-But… when did you…?"

"A few months ago, when we saw Franziska again. She gave it to me."

"She did?" Maya looked down at the card again. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I didn't want to embarrass you."

She smiled. "I guess it is kind of embarrassing, huh?"

"N-No! I mean, _I_ don't think it is, but I thought maybe you didn't want me to know about it… so I didn't tell you I had it. But I'm flattered, Maya. Really. That's why I kept it. It means a lot to me to know you were thinking of me during such a difficult time."

"I really believed in you, Nick, and for good reason. You didn't let me down. I kept this with me the entire time, but I thought it got lost when I was rescued."

"Are you mad that I kept it from you?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I guess I'm kind of flattered too. And all of these pictures you have, and the newspaper articles. I didn't think you really paid attention to that kind of stuff."

"Of course I do. Those pictures are memories… I'll keep them forever. I don't talk about this often but… I'm not very close with my family. I think of you and Pearls as my family now, so that's why I keep them. They're important to me."

Maya got up from the chair and walked around the desk to stand in front of him. Then without warning she flung her arms around his waist. "Nick, that's so sweet!" She sniffled against his chest. "Y-You know, I feel the same way. I don't have any family left except Pearly, and you. You're an honorary Fey now, after all."

His arms encircled her slowly. "Thanks, Maya. I guess we need each other, huh?"

She nodded, brushing her cheek up and down against his suit. She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Let me go put that card back and then I'll come eat. I suppose I'll let you keep it, since it means so much to you."

He smiled gratefully. "Thank you. And you know what, from now on, I'll keep that drawer unlocked."

She grinned back at him as she hurried over to the desk. "Thanks, Nick. I think I'd like to look through those pictures more often."


End file.
